The New Libba Bray book has Arrived

Check out this hilarious trailer:



Sno-Isle just got this book in. Only 15 people waiting right now. Get on the list today!

Going Bovine

Celebrate the Freedom to Read

One of the wonderful things about living in America, is that we have the freedom to read what we want. This week is Banned Books Week, where libraries and booksellers across the nation celebrate the First Amendment and our freedom to read.



Celebrate your freedom to read, by exercising it and checking out a great book from the library today!

Teen Summer Reading Survey

Did you participate in Teen Summer Reading at Sno-Isle Libraries this year? If so, we would like to find out what you thought. Please fill out this brief survey so we can make Summer Reading even more enjoyable next summer.

We appreciate your feedback!

Entries for Teen Art Contest Now Available

Teen Read Month is coming up, and it is time to start working on your entries for our 6th Annual Teen Art Contest!

This year's theme is Read Beyond Reality. Create a 2-D (draw, paint, play with digital photography, etc) piece of art that shows how you can Read Beyond Reality. Fantasy, science fiction, supernatural - if you can imagine it, we want to see it.

Top four entries win a $25 gift card from Amazon.com. Pick up an entry form from your teen librarian (or download it here) and turn in to any Sno-Isle Library by October 31.

Must be age 12 to 18 and live in the Sno-Isle service area to enter. Prizes are funded by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation.

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

I recently received an advanced copy of Francesca Lia Block's new novel, Pretty Dead. Here's what I thought of it...

Charlotte Emerson is dead, and has been for nearly a century. To everyone else, it seems like she has it all…beauty, riches, no parents. But she is dreadfully lonely. For the past two years she’s lived in LA, and has even gone to school, where she befriended Emily. Then Emily commits suicide, and Charlotte begins to change…

A different take on a vampire romance, Pretty Dead is really an urban fairy tale. The lyrical writing creates a dream-like atmosphere similar to that of an impressionist painting, with each piece of the story slowly brought forth. While the novel lacks world-building and has only brief moments of action, its strength lies in the development of Charlotte’s character. Charlotte’s world-weary attitude disguises a young woman who is evolving into her own person, and the romance between Charlotte and Jared, Emily’s boyfriend, is the next step in Charlotte’s growth. The Los Angeles landscape is the perfect background for this story, for it is both gritty and jaded like Charlotte.

Scott Westerfeld's new series

Scott Westerfeld's new series is coming out very soon, beginning with the exciting Leviathan. I was lucky to get to read a preview copy, and found this mash up of historical and science fiction - a genre known as steampunk, to be a wild ride, ridiculously fun and imaginative.

Publishers Weekly has a great interview with Westerfeld here. Find out where he got the idea for the new series, how he came to work with an illustrator this time around, and to what great lengths he will go to avoid winter!

Watch a book trailer for Leviathan here:

Teen laptop winner announced

We have a winner!

Fifteen year old Jessica C. from Oak Harbor is the grand prize winner of our Teen Summer Reading Contest.

She will be receiving an Acer Aspire One netbook at a ceremony in early September at the Oak Harbor Library.

Here is her winning review of Forever, by Judy Blume:

4 stars.

Describe the book: This romantic book is about two high school seniors that struggle to make it with the love they share for one another. It's a vicious battle against family, friends, and even each other at times.

What did you think: This was an interesting look into the mid seventies, when the author wrote it, and how it compares to today's society. I enjoyed this book and it came with some good life lessons as well.

Who would you recommend it to: Older and younger teens in high school romances.

Congratulations Jessica!

And thanks to everyone who submitted reviews and made this a great summer :)